This is some big mess - of course everyone who has purchased spinach within the last week or so wants to return it.

Thursday night was my first full day back home after a week vacation, and my wife was still gone. I hadn't gone shopping, so I opened up the fridge to see what was available and edible. I managed to throw together a spinach and potato frittata, using the bag of spinach I found in the crisper.

I sat down, and enjoyed my frittata, salad, and glass of wine. Then I sat down to watch tv.
The first thing that came on was one of those teasers for the nightly news:

Seems to me you are pretty quick jumping to the conclusion that this is a problem created by organic farming, and specifically the use of cow manure. All the reports I've heard seem to point towards the part of the process where the spinach is supposed to be washed before consumption. But again, all the commentary indicates washing should be done with ALL spinach, not just organically grown spinach.

I work with wineries that grow their grapes organically. I also benefit from the fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers they grow in their gardens, organically. I have worked in, and handled the compost---which, yes, is in part dessicated cow manure as part of the biological matter. I've never seen it as a problem, and don't know of anyone who has encountered a problem from the results of the farming technique, so I don't think I want to instantly conclude that this e.coli problem must be caused by the use of such farming techniques.

I got a really bad case of salmonella once. From bad eggs. I didn't blame the chicken farmer for those bad eggs, though. I blamed the establishment that prepared the eggs for me. It was a marginal place. I should have known better, or at least been more careful. But the problem didn't come from the way the chicken eggs were raised. (Although I probably shouldn't get started on the disgusting way chickens are processed in this country, and how unhealthy virtually all processed chicken meat is these days. But that's a different issue.)

First, as others have said, the problem this time came from bad proceedures during the processing and bagging at the factory. Secondly, cow manure should (and in many states, must) be sterilized before being as fertilizer. This can be done either by heating the manure, treating with chemicals, or by irradiating the manure with x-rays or gamma radiation (though I've never heard of any one trying to use gamma radiation since x-rays stop being produce as soon as the power is turned off but gamma rays keep coming as long as the source is radioactive). Still, I will admit that the biggest difference I can see between organic fertilizers and non-organic fertilizers is that one comes from nature and the other from the laboratory. They both nurish the soil and the plants. The only reason I prefer organically grown produce is that some of the pesticides and fungacides used in commercial farming tends to be difficult to wash off completely.

Obviously, this is a highly emotional issue for you, Bill. And I'm sure we all respect that.

But, on the other hand, if you didn't want people discussing and debating what you were saying....well, you probably shouldn't have said them. If you throw something out there in a forum that is dedicated to discussing issues, then poke your fingers in your ears and go lalalalalalala real loud because it's just to sensitive a subject to talk about, you're being at the least very unrealistic, Bill.

I'm partial to organic farming, Bill. But I'm not locked into that stance if I hear something to the reverse that is reasonable. What I've heard from you is flat statements, unsupported, vehement, angry, distressed, flat statements. Then, when we (reasonably and in a spirit of wanting to know how you came to these statements) ask you to clarify, you say you're just too distressed to talk about it.

Well, come back when you're ready to talk about it then. But don't talk about it if you don't want to talk about it.

And by the way: you're not the only one who feels bad about this whole thing, Bill. It's a tragedy: it's not your personal tragedy.

Thread drift alert!!!
Bill
I've been unable to work out what the faces & "clink" mean in your posts Put me out of my misery (or at least tell me what it means, my misery can stick around for a few days more )

I just read an article about the second spinach recall and here is a excerpt from it. It mentions bovines which was interesting to me. I don't know why farm animals would be anywhere near the produce being grown. My grandfather had a huge garden and many animals. The animals were kept very far away from the produce and did not contaminate the water the produce was watered with.

"Experts are investigating irrigation systems, fertilizers and produce-handling by workers to determine how the bacteria entered the food supply. The pathogen is most often found in bovine fecal matter and could have entered plants through the roots.

Even though the U.S. food supply is among the safest in the world, foodborne illness remains a major public health concern, said Kathryn Boor, a professor of food microbiology at Cornell University and former president of the New York Association of Food Protection. She described E. coli O157:H7 as a microbe of chief concern because it's sometimes lethal. "There's huge amount of work looking into new processing strategies to eliminate the microbe from foods," Boor said."

Karen/NoCA wrote:The pathogen is most often found in bovine fecal matter and could have entered plants through the roots.

The vast majority of organic produce is fertilized using composted cow manure ... IMHO ONLY, if the cow manure is not properly composted, then the e-coli bacteria will not be completely destroyed and can be taken up by the roots of the plant as the plant is irrigated and grows ...

"If there are no dogs in heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went !" - Anonymous

Don't let them beat you down Bill. It seems to me that you were right all along. As I said in my short post to which you replied then removed the reply. It is apparent to me that somehow fertilizer made from some kind of fecal matter was used to fertilize, and in this case it is bovine, and that is proven by analysis. How that the spinach (and what else?) was infected we may not know, but I would not be greatly surprised if it wound up being something assimple as a mistake by either a farmer or a cooperative of farmers, and their choice of a fertilizer provider who made a mistake of his own.

I do not seek out organic foods nor do I shy away from them. In fact I am of a mind that the organic label is just another way of jacking up the price without really offering a value for the dollar. I would not castigate anyone who only ate organic foods, but I sure wouldn't join them either. I grew up on a farm and I guess I ate lots of organic foods, but we didn't call them that back then.

SAN FRANCISCO - The company whose fresh spinach was linked to an E. coli outbreak that has sickened at least 109 people said its organic products had been cleared of contamination, while health officials continued working to pinpoint the bacteria source.

Natural Selection Foods LLC, the country's largest grower of organic produce, said late Sunday that manufacturing codes from packages of spinach that infected patients turned over to health officials all were from non-organic spinach. Natural Selection packages both organic and conventionally grown spinach in separate areas at its San Juan Bautista plant.

The company, however, did not immediately lift any recalls of 34 brands. Those brands include the company's own labels and those of other companies that had contracts with Natural Selection to produce or package its spinach.

Robin Garr wrote:Meanwhile, though, <i>IMHO</i> it is not possible for spinach (or any other plant) to take up e. coli through its roots and circulatory system.

This is true. But it is possible for bacteria to congregate around the spiracles in the leaves, and wrinkies, and other places where it's very hard to dislodge them. Hence the warnings that however carefully you wash the spinach, that might not be enough.

Robin Garr wrote:I would also note for everyone's amusement that the news wires are now reporting that the suspected spinach from Natural Spinach Foods has turned out NOT to be "organic" but "conventional." Hmmm.

It was FOX news early Saturday morning, September 16th, that reported that Earthbound Farms, the parent company of Natural Selection Foods LLC, had initially identified the suspected contaminated spinach as "organic."

I'm not amused either way ...

"If there are no dogs in heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went !" - Anonymous

"No need to start picking sides and throwing things at each other here."

Always a wet blanket at the party....

E. coli O157:H7 has a bovine reservoir; both outbreaks and sporadic cases of hemorrhagic colitis occur after ingestion of undercooked beef, unpasteurized milk, or food and water contaminated with cow manure.

The organism can also be transmitted among persons (especially among infants in diapers) by the fecal-oral route. See, grandma was right when she said to wash your hands before eating.

One study showed populations of viable E. coli O157:H7 declined on vegetables stored at 5 degrees C and increased on vegetables stored at 12 and 21 degrees C for up to 14 days. The most rapid increases in populations of E. coli O157:H7 occurred on lettuce and cucumbers stored at 21 degrees C. Remember, chilling won’t kill bacteria. Only proper cooking will do that.

There is no magic with produce. Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly - especially those that will be eaten without cooking. Take measures to avoid cross-contamination during food preparation and service.

I certainly see no reason for you to apologize, Bill, especially to the shady bunch hanging around here.

reported that Earthbound Farms, the parent company of Natural Selection Foods LLC, had initially identified the suspected contaminated spinach as "organic."

Apparently Natural Selection has a wide variety of both organic and convedntional brands. The news that came out Sunday night (and is posted on the FDA site) indicates that all the sources have proven to be conventional.

I'm not amused either way ...

No, you're absolutely right, Bill. It's not a funny situation, and I'm not trying to be argumentative with you. Just to point out that the initial reports of an organic source were apparently mistaken.

Robin Garr wrote:I would also note for everyone's amusement that the news wires are now reporting that the suspected spinach from Natural Spinach Foods has turned out NOT to be "organic" but "conventional." Hmmm.

I quote from the latest press release from Earthbound Farms d/b/a/ Natural Selection Foods LLC on their website this morning -

"Based on the preliminary information available in this on-going investigation, we have been advised by the US Food & Drug Administration and the California Department of Health Services that no organic products, including Earthbound Farm brand spinach or other products, have been linked to this outbreak at this time. This does not mean that organic products have been cleared."

"If there are no dogs in heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went !" - Anonymous

One of the problems with this new forum is the absence of bio's ... I know from your bio on the old forum that before you retired you were a career weatherman ... I'm sure that you know from my bio that I am a 34 year so far career farmer ... my bio doesn't say that I actually graduated from the University of Arizona in 1972 but it does say I was attending the U when the wine experience referred to in my bio took place ... I have been posting on both the old forum and this new forum combined for years ... I wrongly assumed from all those years of posting that my profession as a career farmer "was a given" ... because of that assumption some of my flat, unsupported statements could/would possibly come across to someone as a person who didn't know what they were talking about because they in fact did not know my background ... had the subject been one originated by you about something weather related instead of this food related topic, you may have suffered the same fate for perhaps the same reason ... who knows ...

FOX news (sorry Robin) reported early Saturday morning, September 16th, that the company who grew and packed the spinach was Earthbound Farms d/b/a/ Natural Selection Foods LLC in San Juan Bautista, California, that the spinach was "organic spinach", and that it had been packed in numerous different labels for numerous diffferent companies ... ALL of the news reports since the story broke have indicated that simply washing the spinach either with detergent or just plain water would NOT wash the e-coli bacteria off ... the strain of e-coli identified in EVERY media story I've heard or read indicated the e-coli was specific to bovine (cows) ... "knowing" as a career farmer that almost all organically grown row crop vegetables utilize composted cow manure to provide the necessary nitrogen for the plant to survive and grow and "knowing" that even most conventionally commercially grown row crop vegetables utilize lessor amounts of composted cow manure as a soil amendment led me to believe that that was the source of the contamination ...

In a long and detailed conversation with Dr. Jorge Fonseca, researcher at the University of Arizona, Dr. Fonseca related to me two studies that had been done to see if e-coli bacteria could be taken up by the roots of a plant ... the first study was done at Rutgers University in 2002 ... the second study was a replication of the first study by the University of Minnesota ... in both cases, it was "proven" that e-coli can, in fact, be absorbed by the plant through it's root system ... HOWEVER, both universities felt the study did NOT use a "real world" scenario that could be replicated in an actual field growing situation ... in both studies, the plants were grown in a hydroponic solution AND the amount of e-coli present in the solution was higher that ANY amount that might be found in a normal field grown situation ... as such, the conclusion was that while e-coli could be taken up by the root system, it was HIGHLY improbable that it would ever happen in a "real world" growing situation ...

Dr. Fonseca went on to say that the most likely reason the e-coli could not be washed off the spinach was becuase the bacteria had formed a bio-plas around the bacteria on the surface of the plant which protected the bacteria from being killed by washing ... think of bio-plas like a plastic coating ...

The bottomline is that in my zeal to make sure my fellow FLDG'ers knew how serious this outbreak was, I probably came across a little on the vehement side ... in hind sight, that was a mistake ... what appeared to some as unsupported statements, however, came from nearly four decades of education and experience as a career farmer ... and sure, Bob, I grow lemons not row crop vegetables ... but plant physiology is plant physiology ...

Finally, Bob ... farmers are a family ... hurt one and we all cry ...as a family, we will survive this ... BUT some of us won't ... I know the people invloved at Earthbound Farms ... I GUARANTEE you this was a mistake ... but it is a tragic mistake ... and as one of the family, I do take it personally and grieve for the members of my family and the people who have been tragically sickened by this mistake ...

"If there are no dogs in heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went !" - Anonymous